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Tumbler tomatoes
I bought some plants and until now, I have kept them on a windowsil. They
seem to be thriving:) I intend to plant them in a basket (the old type shopping basket) using polystyrene as a base and I bought the kind of compost used for hanging baskets. Should I buy the gel thingies that hold in the water? I bought tomato feed too. When should I begin to use it? Apologies for my possible daft questions, but many thanks for any help! |
Tumbler tomatoes
Ophelia wrote: I bought some plants and until now, I have kept them on a windowsil. They seem to be thriving:) I intend to plant them in a basket (the old type shopping basket) using polystyrene as a base and I bought the kind of compost used for hanging baskets. Should I buy the gel thingies that hold in the water? I bought tomato feed too. When should I begin to use it? Apologies for my possible daft questions, but many thanks for any help! Yep, gel thingys are good. I feed weekly when in flower......but that's me ;) -- Pete C London UK |
Tumbler tomatoes
"Ophelia" wrote in message ... I bought some plants and until now, I have kept them on a windowsil. They seem to be thriving:) I intend to plant them in a basket (the old type shopping basket) using polystyrene as a base and I bought the kind of compost used for hanging baskets. Should I buy the gel thingies that hold in the water? I bought tomato feed too. When should I begin to use it? Apologies for my possible daft questions, but many thanks for any help! If you mulched the soil, you wouldn't need the gel - but gel is fine and really does work well if you can't water for two or three days. The feed is targeted at setting and establishing the fruit. Don't feed until the first flowers are out. Before then, a general purpose feed will give the roots and leaves a good boost. The compost they are grown in probably has nutrients for 6 weeks or so but most plants will be nearer 10-12 weeks at planting out - so a general purpose feed before planting out is a help. Only feed weekly otherwise the fruit won't mature as quickly - especially if the feed is very high in nitrogen such as seaweed based products. actually, in my test group two years ago, there was precious little difference in yield between plants fed weekly, not at all, daily and even grown upside down :-) The tomato is a hardier beast than is made out! Most of their problems are in our heads! TJ |
Tumbler tomatoes
Pete C wrote:
Ophelia wrote: I bought some plants and until now, I have kept them on a windowsil. They seem to be thriving:) I intend to plant them in a basket (the old type shopping basket) using polystyrene as a base and I bought the kind of compost used for hanging baskets. Should I buy the gel thingies that hold in the water? I bought tomato feed too. When should I begin to use it? Apologies for my possible daft questions, but many thanks for any help! Yep, gel thingys are good. I feed weekly when in flower......but that's me ;) Thank you, thank you:)) |
Tumbler tomatoes
Tim Jesson wrote:
"Ophelia" wrote in message ... I bought some plants and until now, I have kept them on a windowsil. They seem to be thriving:) I intend to plant them in a basket (the old type shopping basket) using polystyrene as a base and I bought the kind of compost used for hanging baskets. Should I buy the gel thingies that hold in the water? I bought tomato feed too. When should I begin to use it? Apologies for my possible daft questions, but many thanks for any help! If you mulched the soil, you wouldn't need the gel - but gel is fine and really does work well if you can't water for two or three days. The feed is targeted at setting and establishing the fruit. Don't feed until the first flowers are out. Before then, a general purpose feed will give the roots and leaves a good boost. The compost they are grown in probably has nutrients for 6 weeks or so but most plants will be nearer 10-12 weeks at planting out - so a general purpose feed before planting out is a help. Only feed weekly otherwise the fruit won't mature as quickly - especially if the feed is very high in nitrogen such as seaweed based products. actually, in my test group two years ago, there was precious little difference in yield between plants fed weekly, not at all, daily and even grown upside down :-) The tomato is a hardier beast than is made out! Most of their problems are in our heads! Many thanks TJ:)) I have saved this for future reference. I will be planting them in a wicker shopping basket using the light compost used for hanging baskets. Can I can mulch with that? But, this is all knowledge I will need for when I have the proper space:)) All advice about feeding will be utilised forthwith:))) Thanks:) O |
Tumbler tomatoes
"Ophelia" wrote in message ... Tim Jesson wrote: "Ophelia" wrote in message ... I bought some plants and until now, I have kept them on a windowsil. They seem to be thriving:) I intend to plant them in a basket (the old type shopping basket) using polystyrene as a base and I bought the kind of compost used for hanging baskets. Should I buy the gel thingies that hold in the water? I bought tomato feed too. When should I begin to use it? Apologies for my possible daft questions, but many thanks for any help! If you mulched the soil, you wouldn't need the gel - but gel is fine and really does work well if you can't water for two or three days. The feed is targeted at setting and establishing the fruit. Don't feed until the first flowers are out. Before then, a general purpose feed will give the roots and leaves a good boost. The compost they are grown in probably has nutrients for 6 weeks or so but most plants will be nearer 10-12 weeks at planting out - so a general purpose feed before planting out is a help. Only feed weekly otherwise the fruit won't mature as quickly - especially if the feed is very high in nitrogen such as seaweed based products. actually, in my test group two years ago, there was precious little difference in yield between plants fed weekly, not at all, daily and even grown upside down :-) The tomato is a hardier beast than is made out! Most of their problems are in our heads! Many thanks TJ:)) I have saved this for future reference. I will be planting them in a wicker shopping basket using the light compost used for hanging baskets. Can I can mulch with that? But, this is all knowledge I will need for when I have the proper space:)) All advice about feeding will be utilised forthwith:))) Thanks:) O In a basket like that grass clippings would be a great mulch. They will keep the water in for the toms and provide a nitrogen supplement when rotting. Torn paper, shredded hedge trimmings, even bark make a pratical mulch for this situation alone but better in combination. I've never been into the 'best' solution for this kind of stuff! Just follow your nose and see if it works OK. The worst that can happen is you'll have to water more frequently. For me grass works with tomatoes because there is a large area relative to the plant stem size. If the basket were crowded with lots of flowers gel would be a whole lot better. I hope the toms do really well :-) TJ |
Tumbler tomatoes
Tim Jesson wrote:
"Ophelia" wrote in message ... Tim Jesson wrote: "Ophelia" wrote in message ... I bought some plants and until now, I have kept them on a windowsil. They seem to be thriving:) I intend to plant them in a basket (the old type shopping basket) using polystyrene as a base and I bought the kind of compost used for hanging baskets. Should I buy the gel thingies that hold in the water? I bought tomato feed too. When should I begin to use it? Apologies for my possible daft questions, but many thanks for any help! If you mulched the soil, you wouldn't need the gel - but gel is fine and really does work well if you can't water for two or three days. The feed is targeted at setting and establishing the fruit. Don't feed until the first flowers are out. Before then, a general purpose feed will give the roots and leaves a good boost. The compost they are grown in probably has nutrients for 6 weeks or so but most plants will be nearer 10-12 weeks at planting out - so a general purpose feed before planting out is a help. Only feed weekly otherwise the fruit won't mature as quickly - especially if the feed is very high in nitrogen such as seaweed based products. actually, in my test group two years ago, there was precious little difference in yield between plants fed weekly, not at all, daily and even grown upside down :-) The tomato is a hardier beast than is made out! Most of their problems are in our heads! Many thanks TJ:)) I have saved this for future reference. I will be planting them in a wicker shopping basket using the light compost used for hanging baskets. Can I can mulch with that? But, this is all knowledge I will need for when I have the proper space:)) All advice about feeding will be utilised forthwith:))) Thanks:) O In a basket like that grass clippings would be a great mulch. They will keep the water in for the toms and provide a nitrogen supplement when rotting. Torn paper, shredded hedge trimmings, even bark make a pratical mulch for this situation alone but better in combination. I've never been into the 'best' solution for this kind of stuff! Just follow your nose and see if it works OK. The worst that can happen is you'll have to water more frequently. For me grass works with tomatoes because there is a large area relative to the plant stem size. If the basket were crowded with lots of flowers gel would be a whole lot better. I hope the toms do really well :-) Thanks very much, TJ:) I have it planted up now! I used Vermiculite because they didn't have any of that gel in the garden centre I went to today. So, in my basket I have 6 tomato plants and a few sweet pea plants:) If it grows ok, I will take some pics and post a url for them:) I have saved your ideas for future projects! Many thanks again:) |
Tumbler tomatoes
On May 12, 8:41*pm, "Ophelia" wrote:
Tim Jesson wrote: "Ophelia" wrote in message ... Tim Jesson wrote: "Ophelia" wrote in message ... I bought some plants and until now, I have kept them on a windowsil. They seem to be thriving:) *I intend to plant them in a basket (the old type shopping basket) using polystyrene as a base and I bought the kind of compost used for hanging baskets. Should I buy the gel thingies that hold in the water? I bought tomato feed too. *When should I begin to use it? Apologies for my possible daft questions, but many thanks for any help! If you mulched the soil, you wouldn't need the gel - but gel is fine and really does work well if you can't water for two or three days. The feed is targeted at setting and establishing the fruit. Don't feed until the first flowers are out. Before then, a general purpose feed will give the roots and leaves a good boost. The compost they are grown in probably has nutrients for 6 weeks or so but most plants will be nearer 10-12 weeks at planting out - so a general purpose feed before planting out is a help. Only feed weekly otherwise the fruit won't mature as quickly - especially if the feed is very high in nitrogen such as seaweed based products. actually, in my test group two years ago, there was precious little difference in yield between plants fed weekly, not at all, daily and even grown upside down :-) The tomato is a hardier beast than is made out! Most of their problems are in our heads! Many thanks TJ:)) *I have saved this for future reference. I will be planting them in a wicker shopping basket using the light compost used for hanging baskets. *Can I can mulch with that? *But, this is all knowledge I will need for when I have the proper space:)) All advice about feeding will be utilised forthwith:))) Thanks:) O In a basket like that grass clippings would be a great mulch. They will keep the water in for the toms and provide a nitrogen supplement when rotting. Torn paper, shredded hedge trimmings, even bark make a pratical mulch for this situation alone but better in combination. I've never been into the 'best' solution for this kind of stuff! Just follow your nose and see if it works OK. The worst that can happen is you'll have to water more frequently. For me grass works with tomatoes because there is a large area relative to the plant stem size. If the basket were crowded with lots of flowers gel would be a whole lot better. I hope the toms do really well :-) Thanks very much, TJ:) *I have it planted up now! *I used Vermiculite because they didn't have any of that gel in the garden centre I went to today. *So, in my basket I have 6 tomato plants and a few sweet pea plants:) If it grows ok, I will take some pics and post a url for them:) I have saved your ideas for future projects! Many thanks again:) .. Goodness O, you will need a lot of feed for 6 plants and you will need to water a.m and p.m. but you will be making pickle when you can't keep up with the surplus. Any ideas for a surplus of eggs? :-) Judith |
Tumbler tomatoes
Judith in France wrote:
Goodness O, you will need a lot of feed for 6 plants and you will need to water a.m and p.m. but you will be making pickle when you can't keep up with the surplus. lol, well I suppose I could do that:) Don't forget these are very small tomatoes:) I am hoping they will be very sweet and that David will like them so much, that he will pop one in his mouth whenever he passes:) Tomato is very good for preventing prostate cancer and this is cunning plan to get loads of the little beauties into his tum:) Any ideas for a surplus of eggs? :-) Errrr...pickled? g |
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